Parent guides to first phones and walking to school

A child’s hands turning over a small charcoal device at a kitchen table in evening light

Start hereIs my child ready for a phone?Five questions on independence, screens, and what is prompting the question. A minute, and one of the three answers is yes, buy a phone.Take the check

A child walking home alone along a British street in low evening sun

What age can a child walk to school alone?No minimum age in law. What schools commonly allow, and how many children travel alone at each age.Read the guide

A child in an orange coat crouching to build a den from branches in autumn woods, with a small green device clipped to the coat pocket

What comes before a first phoneSix options with what each does and does not do. No brand names. We make one of them.Read the guide

A child in denim shorts stepping up to a front door, a small dark device clipped to their belt loop

Smartwatch or a screenless device?What children's smartwatches do, how schools treat them, and when a screenless device fits better. We make one of those.Read the guide

Two children walking home together along a British street in evening light

Setting up a first phoneIf the answer is a phone, the settings that are hard to change afterwards.Read the guide

Yado makes a screenless safety device for children, so we have a commercial interest in this subject. Each page carries its sources, and says where we are inferring rather than reporting.

Yado isn't on sale yet.

Spring 2027, and the first batch is small. The waitlist gets it first.

Guides

Yado isn't on sale yet.